The events of Sep. 11, 2001 have made security an extremely high priority in the U.S. and elsewhere around the world. There has been an increase in the level of security at many airports, federal buildings, law enforcement agencies and other locales which are frequently traveled. Although the Transportation Security Administration (“TSA”) does not require a traveler to remove his shoes before entering a walk-through metal detector, TSA screeners encourage travelers to remove them before entering the metal detector as many types of footwear will require additional screening even if the metal detector does not alarm. TSA screeners thus encourage travelers to remove footwear, that is more likely to require additional screening, including, boots, platform shoes (including platform flip-flops), footwear with a thick sole or heel (including athletic shoes), and footwear containing metal (including many dress and construction shoes).
Accordingly, it is desirable at times to have footwear that is easily removable, comfortable, and that will speed the process of screening at airports, federal buildings, law enforcement agencies and other locales which are frequently traveled.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,979 to Sileo relates to transparent footwear, the appearance of which can be altered to achieve different aesthetic affects. The tongue and insole of the footwear include non-transparent indicia which can be removed and either reversed or replaced. Also, other transparent footwear that have been considered in the prior art include U.S. Pat. No. 2,887,792 to Staff relating to women's dress shoes and U.S. Pat. No. D430,966 to Brady et al. relating to a clear sole shoe. However, these devices do not satisfactorily consider all issues of convenience, security, removability, and comfort that are addressed herein.